Happy Birthday Dav Pilkey - March 4

[Eric Van Raepenbusch]

BAD PARENT ALERT! BAD PARENT ALERT!

I am guilty. I read books to my children this week that used the words "poopypants"and "dumb".  The books were completely silly and many say they have no educational value what so ever. Even more shameful, I drew Flip O' Ramas (a special feature within some of Dav Pilkey's books) with my daughter that included punching and kicking! (Dav made us do it - he posted a video onYouTube on how to make Flip O' Ramas and we just had to try - just once!)

But, we had so much fun! And we laughed! And we goofed around! And we laughed so more! 

Below is an updated version of my 2010 Birthday Post with lots of information about Dav Pilkey:

National Underwear Day is held on August 5, 2011.  But, today is Dav (pronounced Dave) Pilkey's birthday who is the author of the Captain Underpants Series. So, let's greet our kids or students today with a little undergarment humor and proclaim today "Happy Underwear Day!"

It is silliness that sets Pilkey apart from every other author. From his silly nickname, Dav, that stuck after a mistake on his Pizza Hut name tag (pilkey.com) to the inclusion of his pets into books like Dogzilla and Kat Kong. He is always infusing humor into his books. This is an author who loves to have fun and thrives at being silly for a living.

Dav Pilkey has publicized that it was his struggles in school that ultimately led him to the successful career that he has today.  Back in elementary school, he was a boy that often got in trouble and nowadays would have been labeled as a child with an attention deficit.  The punishment for his shenanigans in classroom was to be sent to the hallway.  It was in the hallway where his career began.  Captain Underpants was actually invented in second grade during those long stints at his hallway desk.  The fact is that Dav Pilkey didn't mind going in the hallway because he always stocked the desk with lots of supplies and his friends all loved the comics he brought back to the classroom.  His teacher often tried to humiliate him into correcting his behavior by tearing up his books and telling him he can't make silly books for the rest of his life.  Things at school really don't change for Dav until college when a professor at Kent State University encouraged him to write.  It wasn't too long after that encouragement that Dav won a writing contest and got his first book published, World War Won at the age of 19. Honestly, it is best that you hear him tell the story of his experiences with teachers by viewing a speech from the International Reading Association Conference.  It is a hoot! - Click Here to Read More -